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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Explaining Pakistan's Natural Disasters to Americans: Floods

Thanks Don Bustani for your well wishes.

I have family members living in Pakistan. Worst floods in the history's country, making 20 million people homeless:


Total population is about 180 million. The big cities are okay, but the towns and rural areas are devastated, 20% of the country was under water. The government is very corrupt, and all political parties were seen for many weeks, fighting with each other, instead of helping the flood victims. So public is extremely angry. Politicians are afraid of showing up any where because people will beat them up.

On Pakistani private TV, some hosts talk about revolution. But more than that, there's a lot of hopelessness... which I think started largely after 911, when Pakistani's saw the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that was very demoralizing for the Muslim masses.

Last time I was in Pakistan was 2004, and before that, 1999. After that 5 year gap I saw a huge difference in the people, in 2004. I'd describe it as an expression of shock on their faces. Maybe some effects of "shock and awe" warfare. A journalist wrote "we have become a nation of zombies". It's due to corruption from colonial times. Which continued after the creation of Pakistan in 1947. The first prime minister was summoned to Washington D.C., meaning the country's ruling class became the puppets and subjects of U.S. after being a slaves of Britain.

In recent years, the Afghan war expanded into Pakistan, by the U.S. foreign policy. Many people in Pakistan believe that U.S. and Israel and India want to get rid of the nuclear weapons in Pakistan.

Every day on the Pakistani TV channels... the news gets stranger. Unbelievably weird, hard to explain, shocking, difficult to fathom. Very unusual things happen, specially in the political arena. Before the floods, a friend in Pakistan told me "Pakistani's HATE the ruling politicians". I understand that more now. Because those in power, and those in friendly-political-opposition, just don't care about the public. That also creates a culture of each man for himself, a chaos, corruption, and lawlessness. For good people, for most people, it's difficult to survive. With the farmland ruined by the floods, food prices are extremely high. There are all kinds of mafia's... like the sugar mafia, the milk mafia, the concrete mafia... yet people have the will to survive, and carry on day by day... something similar to Gaza.

In Pakistan, like half the population of the world, people try to survive on $2 per day. I don't know how, when food prices are so high. Most people are busy trying to make enough money for the day, so they don't stay hungry, so they can feed their children. I don't know if they have a roof over their head. But they don't have safety. With all the conflicts between political parties and religious fringe elements who apparently don't believe in basic human rights and compassion for fellow citizens... there is a lot of crime and lack of security.

Thanks for asking about Pakistan. It has been a sad situation for many years, but after the floods, is even worse.

People don't trust the government, so they donate money to NGO's, for the flood victims. Or neighbors feed each other. Usually the poor people in Pakistan are more willing to share, than the rich elite.

Take care Don,

Fazeel Chauhan

Every Eid we hope the world becomes a better place

I wish Peace and prosperity for the whole world

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